Blowing up mountains

Perhaps Tom Loftus thought it would have been inappropriate to report something else Silas House said at this year's I Love Mountains rally because it was too emotional for a news story. It broke my heart to hear House's voice tremble as he began to tell a story about a pleasant visit with his parents at their home in Appalachia.

Their visit was interrupted by earthquake-like sensations so strong that it made the local news. It was not an earthquake but dynamite blowing up a mountain nearby. Many can relate to spending time and swapping stories with family and friends, but few can comprehend the anxiety and despair of living in your home that has become a blast zone.

KATHY KREMER

Louisville 40204

Filibuster foolishness

Memo to U.S. Senate: Seriously?! In these very dangerous times, with the United States still at war in Afghanistan and the sequester looming, you vote to filibuster the nomination for the next Secretary of Defense? Either vote him up or down, but for goodness sakes, VOTE!

MARION MCCLAIN

Louisville 40207

Rosenwald school

I enjoyed reading Martha Ellison's fine article on Rosenwald School buildings Thursday ("Push is on to Preserve Disappearing Rosenwald Black Schools"). It is exciting to see an underappreciated dimension of Kentucky's history finally receive the attention it deserves. I must note, however, that the article fails to mention one of the people most responsible for preservation of the Jefferson Jacob School in Prospect.

Annelise Gray, a graduate student in the Public History Program at the University of Louisville, prepared the National Register nomination for the school as part of my Introduction to Historic Preservation class during the spring 2011 semester. She submitted the nomination to the Kentucky Heritage Council. The school was officially listed in the National Register on Aug. 6, 2012.

Since the nomination was crucial to stimulating interest in the school among Prospect's African-American community, Ms. Gray deserves much of the credit for its preservation. Without her efforts, I fear that the building might still be shuttered and forgotten, as it was when she began investigating its history two years ago.

DANIEL VIVIAN

Louisville 40208

NRA influence

The poll results cited in your article "Gun Control: the Time is Now" on Feb. 2 shows a big contradiction in what people perceive to be America's view on gun laws. Clearly people see the need for more control on who has access to guns, but why is it that so many people still seem to think most Americans are against gun control? My brother was held at gunpoint during an armed robbery. Criminals shouldn't be able to get access to guns, but it seems like most criminals do.

It is too easy for anyone to purchase a gun. The NRA's Wayne LaPierre claims to represent opinions of the members, yet 74 percent of NRA members support background checks on all gun sales. It seem like the NRA has a strong hold on Congress. In a survey from YouGov of 45,000 Americans, about 35 percent said they had a gun in the home. Only seven percent belonged to the NRA. From these results, the NRA shouldn't have as much control over Congress as they do.